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The Music Enthusiast: "This Is A Starting Point of What Should One Day Be a Legacy Career!"

The true troubadour musicians seem to be a gradually dying breed these days. If you look hard enough, you can find some truly exceptional ones, though, and one of those would have to be Sam Morrow.

The 23-year-old singer/songwriters' debut album, “Ephemeral”, was recently released on Forty Below Records, and moments into starting the listening experience you find it hard to believe Morrow isn’t two or three times his age, due to the depth and honesty that’s conveyed in his songs.

“War” establishes an immediate somber mood, while a gentle playing of the violin accompanies the slower strumming of the guitar. Sam’s art as a storyteller instantly comes to light on this track and pulls you in, and if your interest hasn’t been piqued by about two-thirds of the way in, the sharp, sudden rise the song takes will hook you. “No, we’re not done.” belts Morrow, sounding almost a bit defiant.

The hushed vibe that’s found on that previous song carries over to the first bit of “Old Soul”, but it doesn’t last for long. His rich voice raises to the occasion on this track that’s a little more fleshed out, even rock sounding. “I’ve been told that you break when you’re old, but I’ve got an old soul, my dear.” he belts towards the end of this song about hanging on to a relationship.

Through those two tracks, you can hear the album building, and that pace continues with the harmonious “Sure Thing”. You may already have a preconceived notion about the content of Sams’ songs, and despite the upbeat (which is impossible not to get into), the tone of heartbreak is kept intact. It’s not just a simple re-wording of the past songs, though. In fact, lyrically, it’s almost like an original spin on the oldest subject matter in music.

The best part about “Run” has to be how it suddenly transitions form an acoustic song to one that has an orchestral tinge as the music jumps out of the speakers, assaulting you with an array of beautifully woven sounds.

The feeling of longing is found in nearly every second of “December”, which at times has the very nice addition of backing female vocals, though you have to have the volume up pretty loud to fully hear them. Then comes “Forever”, which evokes a real sense of calm. One that washes over you, and for this track, it’s really best to just close your eyes and give all of your attention to Sam Morrow’s storytelling, which is absolutely superb on this number, even a cut above the rest.

The album then gets turned on its head with “14”. Morrow has dabbled in rock elements before, but nothing to the point that things get taken to on this song. It’s a full-blown country/rock affair, complete with a pedal steel guitar, which lies in the shadows for parts of the song, but strikes at just the right moments to really impress. It’s set apart from every other song on the record; and just because it is more alt country and mentions whiskey and other drinks, doesn’t mean the song is cliché.

At not quite three minutes, “Midland” is the shortest tune on “Ephemeral”, though it’s another incredible song, and one that brings pretty and poignant together in just the right ways.

With the album coming to a close, “True North” is an appropriate way to start the end. It’s sort of about having that internal compass that will always lead you in the right direction, though not without some bumps along the way. The song quite possible stems from his battles with addiction, but the message it carries can be applied to anyone and everyone’s life. “…One wrong turn and it defines who we are. But it’s the journey that writes the song…” Sam croons on the first verse of the song that is a testament to the fact while you might “screw up” in the eyes of the world, you haven’t necessarily gone off track, and you can always find your way.

“Gone” then closes out the album, and it ranks high on the list of Sam doing what he does best: writing songs that are wrought with emotion.

I’ll return to the word “honesty”. That’s what sticks out the most on this record comprised entirely of songs where Morrow lays his soul bear for the listener. That’s what he’s going for, and in his current bio, he talks about greats like Ray Charles and Johnny Cash, how that’s a common thread in their music. “…They all have these heavy truths woven in their writing that you don’t want to believe, but have to…” he says.

In that regard, he’s right up there with those musicians who names will never be lost to time. Perhaps one day he’ll be as legendary as they are, too.

“Ephemeral” is a good title for the album. It’s one that sticks with you, though that’s not a word that would be used to describe Sam Morrow. Quite the contrary, this is a starting point of what should one day be a legacy career.